1. Introduction
2. Symbolic Language
3. The Seven Churches
4. TheFirst Seal       (The White Horse)
5. The Second Seal  (The Red Horse)
6. The Third Seal      (The Black Horse)
7. The Fourth Seal    (The Pale Horse)
8. The Fifth Seal
9. The Sixth Seal
10. The Sealing of the 144,000
11. The Innumerable Multitude
12. The Seventh Seal

    	The First Trumpet
    	The Second Trumpet
    	The Third Trumpet
    	The Fourth Trumpet
    	The Fifth Trumpet       (First Woe!)
    	The Sixth Trumpet      (Second Woe!)
    	The Seventh Trumpet  (Third Woe!)

13. The Beast of Revelation 13
14. The Mark of the Beast
15. The Three Angels' Messages
16. The Seven Last Plagues
17. The Great Harlot
18. The Fall of Babylon the Great
19. Final Scenes
20. The Millennial Reign
21. The New Earth

SYMBOLIC LANGUAGE
The book of Revelation is written mostly in symbolic language. This, admittedly, does seem daunting at first, but once the reader becomes acquainted with symbolic language and learns how to interpret it, by comparing scripture with scripture, the Revelation becomes a veritable storehouse of information about the future of mankind. A symbol is something which represents or stands for something else. Examples of symbols used in the Revelation are:

	A lamb: this symbol represents Jesus Christ the innocent Son of God. (Rev. 5:5-6, John 1:29)
	A candlestick: this represents the light-bearing church of God. (Rev. 1:20)
	White robes: this symbol represents righteousness. (Rev. 7:13-14, Rev. 19:7-8)
	Chains: a symbol of captivity.
	A sword: a symbol of war.
	A crown: a symbol of royal authority. etc.

Symbolic language is used throughout the Bible but more so in the prophetic books. The parables of Jesus are also good examples of how symbolic or figurative language is used to illustrate and explain spiritual realities. When interpreting the Revelation, therefore, it is important to first establish if the language used is literal or symbolic, or a mixture of both. Utmost caution should be exercised here; because if a symbol is incorrectly taken in a literal sense, confusion will result. Similarly, if a literal object or element is mistakenly treated as a symbol, an equally warped picture of the future will emerge and the reader will not be prepared for the reality of last day events when they occur.

Bear in mind also that the Revelation is a prophetic warning message given by the Almighty to the church so that all believers may prepare themselves for the final events due to occur on earth. For the plain truth is this, JEHOVAH (Yahweh) the God of Israel wants His people to be ready for the last days. He wants every member of His church to have a clear understanding of what is going to happen just before His Son YESHUA (Jesus) returns. He wants us all to know what He is doing and what He is going to allow Satan to do. The Almighty does not want us to be terrified of the future, but to be patiently confident amidst the total confusion which is going to reign when this present civilisation collapses in ruins about us. For even though Yahweh is going to protect His obedient followers in those difficult days, He still wants them to know about future events before they actually occur. The Revelation is, in short, another example of that divine trait whereby

Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)

Yes, it is God's will that all His church know of the future; and not only that we know what to expect, but that we come into line with His will soon, so that we may be accounted worthy to escape punishment.

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.(Luke 21:36)

Make no mistake, an understanding of the will of the Almighty God as outlined in the Revelation will be of utmost value and importance in the very last days. Indeed, your life and the lives of your family could well depend on it. Remaining wilfully ignorant is a fatal mistake. The Almighty says in Hosea 4:6.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee…

Oh, how true that statement is going to prove with this end-time generation; a generation woefully and wilfully ignorant of the truth, yet so eager to believe any and everything but the Word of the Almighty God.

THE SEVEN CHURCHES
The Revelation begins with the prophet seeing a vision of Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) the Son of God, walking amidst seven candlesticks. A candlestick is a symbol of a church group from which the light of God's truth shines.

… and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. (Rev. 1:20)

Seven is the number which represents wholeness, completeness and totality. The messages to the seven churches therefore are for the whole church, the entire body of believers, Jew and Gentile alike, in all ages. It is a mistake to think that most of the messages to the seven churches apply to the church in past ages; or that this or that church group is the Smyrna church, the Laodicean church, the Philadelphian church etc. For the fact is that in every church group in all ages, there were - and still are - individuals to whom one or more of the seven messages apply.

You may be sure that even in your own congregation there is the Laodicean believer who is in danger of being 'spewed out' by God. There is also the Smyrna group who are enduring great suffering for their Lord. There are those who classify themselves as 'Jews' (true believers) but who are not; and there are those who have not denied the Master's name. Yes, almost every type of believer is present in the average-sized church group. This is as true in our day as it was in the past. The letters to the seven churches, in other words, are for your church group and mine.

It is not the purpose of this booklet, however, to explain the letters to the seven churches; because with prayerful study most believers can arrive at a good understanding of those messages by themselves. Instead, in this booklet our aim is to briefly outline and explain the prophecy of the Seven Seals which is introduced in Revelation chapter four.

Revelation Chapter Four

This chapter begins with the prophet seeing a vision of the Almighty seated on His throne. In Jehovah's (Yahweh's) right hand the prophet sees a scroll which is sealed with seven seals. The only one in the universe who is qualified to open the sealed scroll is Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God). He is symbolised as the Lamb of God (John 1:29). The heavenly hosts around the Almighty's throne rejoice at the fact that at last someone has been found worthy to open the scroll and tell its contents. From this we may infer that the angelic host are intensely eager to learn about the future of those things which must shortly come to pass. Oh that the church on earth would display a similar interest in the sealed scroll and the future of humanity. It is true, multitudes are apparently interested in the future, because great sums of money are spent each week by people who consult witches, fortune tellers, astrologers and mystics of every shade and type; but how few, by comparison, consult the Word of God or study the prophecies in order to find out what the Almighty says about the future? How very few!

We trust that when you have thoroughly studied this booklet, you will have taken a great step forward in understanding what the real future holds in store for humanity at large and for yourself in particular. And though the knowledge of it may initially fill you with dread, you may be sure that if you place your trust in the Almighty and do His will, your fears will gradually give way to a growing sense of confidence, a confidence that will stand you in good stead when the terrors of the last days begin to occur in your neighbourhood.

THE FIRST SEAL
And I saw, and behold, a white horse; and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him and he went forth conquering and to conquer. (Rev. 6:2)

Here we are shown the first of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the White Horse. The rider on the white horse carries a bow and goes forth conquering and to conquer. This means that he is victorious and invincible; nothing can halt his advance. Before we explain what the white horse represents, let us first draw the reader's attention to the FIRST CLUE to understanding Bible prophecy. It is comparing scripture with scripture: of letting the Bible interpret itself; of searching for the meaning of one obscure passage in another part of the Bible which describes the same subject or event in a simplified way.

It is perfectly obvious that there is only one future, and it follows that no matter how many Bible prophecies there may be concerning the future, they cannot contradict each other and still all be correct. Therefore, if one prophet describes the future in symbolic language in one book, and another tells of the same future in another part of the scriptures in simple language, a comparison of one scripture with the other will obviously direct us to the real meaning.

To help us understand the symbolic language of the Revelation we will first consider another Bible prophecy describing the same end-time scenes in simple language. The prophecy we will look at is our Lord's famous Olivet prophecy recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. In that prophecy the Master spoke of the end-time, the period in earth's history which occurs just prior to his return to earth. The Olivet prophecy is in plain language with a minimum of symbolic references. The order of events in the Saviour's plain language prediction, therefore, ought to be similar to those described in symbolic language in the Revelation, for both prophecies deal with the same events in the last days. When we examine the two prophecies side by side, that is exactly what we find. One complements the other, explains and fills in details which the other lacks: and together they provide us with a detailed picture of the world's future as it will occur just before the Master returns to earth.

Using this method of allowing one scripture to interpret another, we find that the white horse of Revelation 6 corresponds with the Saviour's warning message in Matthew 24.4-5

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

This is plainly a WARNING message: Take heed! says the Master. The vast majority of Bible prophecies are in a sense warning messages, given by the Almighty to warn people of approaching punishment or danger. In order to warn effectively, a prophet must do at least two things:

	He must warn of error and its consequences.
	And he must point to the Truth and a way of escape.

This is what the Master is doing in Matthew 24.4.

He is opening his truth-filled warning message with the words 'Take heed!' and he closes by pointing to a way of escape. The prophecy of the Seven Seals is no different; for, like the great prophecy in Matthew 24, it begins with a truth-filled warning message symbolised by the invincible rider on the white horse and goes on to point to a way of escape.

The colour white represents purity and truth. (Isaiah 1:18, Rev. 19:8) The rider on the white horse corresponds to the Messiah's truth-filled, warning message of 'take heed' in Matthew 24.4. This rider symbolises God's Invincible Truth, which by its very existence warns us to beware (take heed) of deception and counterfeit in the church: the counterfeit baptism of the Holy Spirit, the counterfeit Sabbaths being celebrated by believers, the counterfeit messiah that is shortly to arrive on the world scene and the counterfeit Bibles which are currently being foisted on unsuspecting Christendom.

The rider on the white horse is even now galloping across the globe and there is no power in the universe that can check his advance. Yahweh's Truth is currently demolishing the strongholds of human ignorance and error and there is scarcely a country on earth where the light of the gospel has not begun to shine. People may, of course, choose not to believe God's Truth, but there is absolutely no way any person or government can stop its advance. Yes, the events under the first seal have already begun.

THE SECOND SEAL
And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. (Rev. 6:4)

In this seal the symbolic language used is almost self explanatory. The rider on the red horse, we are told, was 'given a great sword' and power was given to him to 'take peace from the earth.' Clearly this rider represents bloodshed and war; for red is the colour of blood and a sword is the universally accepted symbol of war. And that is exactly how the Master put it when he followed his take heed warning with:

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (Matt. 24:7)

One doesn't need great spiritual insight to recognise in this verse a picture of our day. Violence, bloodshed, revolution and international turmoil are now commonplace and global war is a constant threat. The world, it seems, is glutting itself on an ever-increasing diet of violence, carnage and death; with each blood-bath being dwarfed by the enormity of the next. Read any daily newspaper, switch to any radio or TV station and the same, sad catalogue of violence and bloodshed fills the news. And always, above and behind it all, there lurks that fearful spectre of a nuclear war - a war which could well nigh obliterate life from this planet.

What's more, all the efforts of world leaders, politicians, economists, scientists and even the theologians of all the faiths, cannot stem the tide of slaughter which is threatening to engulf mankind. Nothing, it seems, anyone can say or do can prevent the on-coming holocaust. Only the Almighty can stem this tide of evil which He so accurately predicted so long ago. Yes, there is little doubt, the second horseman of the Apocalypse, the rider on the red horse, like the white horse before him, is even now breaking into a gallop; and the thunder of his hoof beats can be heard around the world.

Power was given unto him to take peace from the earth, said the divine messenger, and oh how true those fearsome words have proved to be. Peace on earth is a vanishing memory and war is taking its place. The prophet Jeremiah also predicted war on a world-wide scale. (Jeremiah 25:15-38)

THE THIRD SEAL
Rev.6: 5: And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6: And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

From the parable of the labourers in the vineyard, we learn that a denarius (translated 'penny' in this verse) was then the ordinary wage for a day's work. (Matthew 20:2-13)

Here we are shown a symbolic picture of hyper-inflation, crippling food shortages, rising prices and mass starvation! The rider on the black horse represents famine - world famine! when food prices for even the barest of life's necessities will sky-rocket out of control. Can you imagine the world's economy so depressed that a man would work all day for the price of a few loaves of bread? I'm sure that not many of us can imagine this happening, even though rising food prices are all too familiar. But, according to this prophecy, runaway inflation coupled with frightening food shortages are due to occur in the last days. Indeed, in many countries they have already arrived, Prices are rising daily in all the markets of the world and there is very little anyone or any government can do to stop them.

The rider on the black horse may not be moving at speed in the West, but I can assure you that in the East, in South America and Africa he is out there in the field and he is soon to break into an earthshaking gallop. Famines generally follow war. In this and the Olivet prophecy Yeshua the Saviour confirms this when he says:

Nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there shall be famines. (Matthew 24:7)

THE FOURTH SEAL
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. (Rev. 6:8)

The colour of the fourth horse is given as deathly pale or sickly, yellowish green. Again comparing the Revelation with the Master's Olivet prophecy we find that the sickly pale horse symbolises pestilence: deadly disease epidemics and plagues that so quickly lay low millions of humans engulfed in war and famine. This is not to mention the agricultural pestilence (pests) that periodically wreck havoc on our farms. When the pale horse breaks into a gallop it will appear as though the finely tuned forces of nature have become dislodged. Disease epidemics of all kinds will sweep across the globe bringing death to millions of people, their cattle and their crops. The severe food shortages pictured by the black horse will most certainly exacerbate the problem of pestilence, as the world's population, weakened by war and famine, struggles to keep alive. To be sure, the rider on the pale horse has begun to ride and death is following closely at his heels.

SUMMARY OF THE FIRST FOUR SEALS
1) First, there is the white horse: the Almighty's truth-filled, warning message! which exposes the various spiritual counterfeits that abound in our day.

2) Second, there is the red horse: whose rider wields a great sword which symbolises violence, revolution, bloodshed and - war!

3) Third, there is the black horse: which pictures hyper-inflation, sky-rocketing food prices and mass starvation - famine!

4) And last of all, the sickly pale, yellowish-green horse: which stands for disease epidemics and plagues on an international scale - pestilence!.

WAR, FAMINE, PESTILENCE, that terrifying trio which invariably overtakes civilisations given to sin. Reading through the prophecies of the Bible one can hardly fail to recognise the fact that warnings rejected are always followed by war, famine and pestilence; for that is the Almighty's way of dealing with those who persistently ignore His truth and reject His commandments.

… but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence. (Jeremiah 14:12)

And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers. (Jeremiah 24:10)

The great prophet Jeremiah analysed the messages of all the prophets of God that had gone before him and summarised their work in these telling words:

The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence. (Jeremiah 28:8)

Oh yes, divine warning is the opening theme of almost every Bible prophecy, and when rejected is always followed by war, famine and pestilence. But will mankind ever take heed and recognise this fact, that if warnings are rejected there always follows war, famine and pestilence? It is doubtful. People, it seems, are quite unable or unwilling to link national calamity with national sin. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse have, nonetheless, begun to ride, and as described in Revelation 6:8:

Power was given them over a fourth part of the earth to kill with sword with hunger and with death.

THE FIFTH SEAL
Rev.6: 9: And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11: And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

Here we are shown religious persecutions involving two groups of martyrs; a) the early martyrs who were slain for their faith before the four horsemen had taken the field, and b) the end-time martyrs who are to be slain after the horsemen (war, famine, and pestilence) have begun to ride.

The Early Martyrs
These are the martyrs who died before the 20th century, died in their millions during the period known as the 'dark ages.' They died, we are told, 'for the Word of God' and 'for their testimony.' The blood of these martyrs has still not been avenged; nor are they rejoicing in heaven right now. Instead they were each given a white robe (accredited with the righteousness of Jesus) and told to rest, to wait for a little season till another great martyrdom took place.

The End-time Martyrs
These martyrs would be killed 'as they (the early martyrs) were.' In other words they would be martyred for the very same reason that the early martyrs died: that is, for the Word of God (the Bible) and their testimony. In short, the martyrdom under the fifth seal pictures an end-time martyrdom, a persecution of believers in our day! There is a great deal of evidence to suggest that in some countries this end-time persecution has already begun. But it is scheduled to intensify and will no doubt reach the free West in due course.

In his Olivet prophecy the Master also places this final martyrdom after the wars, famines and pestilence that are symbolised by the red, black and pale horses. He said this:

Matthew 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10: And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

The scene for this end-time persecution, which culminates in the death of many leading believers, is already set. Satanic forces are even now undermining the faith of many Christians in the real Word of God and love within the brotherhood is fading away. Jealousy, hatred, slander and outright rejection are all too common in the churches today and many believers are giving up their faith altogether. Added to this sad reality is the fact that the real Word of God, the genuine Bible, is being jettisoned in favour of scores of counterfeit Bibles! Those who cling to the real Word of God will soon be a target for persecution. See our article entitled Bible Versions concerning this very serious matter.

Take warning dear reader that you are not deceived by Satan into rejecting the Word of God or into harbouring hatred in your heart towards fellow Christians; especially those who seek to do the Almighty's will. Because jealousy and slander are the stepping stones to betrayal; and betrayal is but one step away from a true believer's martyrdom. When that end-time tribulation arrives in your area it will test the faith of every believer almost to the point of destruction. But God in His infinite mercy has decreed that many will be saved through it all; be saved to stand in faultless splendour before the soul-searching gaze of the Almighty God!

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. (Matt. 24:13)

That is, those who refuse to give up their faith in the Almighty, even though they may be called to give up their lives for Him. This end-time persecution is upon us, so do not be surprised when it starts in your neighbourhood. We are happy to report, however, that not all the church is scheduled for martyrdom. Many will be spared and be miraculously protected from the onslaught of the Evil One. They will live unscathed through the very worst Satan can do and will stand before God in faultless splendour in that last day. This reassuring prospect will be looked at again when we examine Revelation chapters 9, 12 and 13.

THE SIXTH SEAL
Rev.6: 12: And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13: And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14: And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15: And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16: And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Speaking of these same events in Matthew's gospel the Master said this:

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. (Matt. 24:29)

The prophet Joel writing of this same period wrote:

Joel 2: 30: And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. 32: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

In the sixth seal the reader is given a preview of that same end-time celestial display. It will be witnessed throughout our galaxy. The language of these prophecies seems to indicate that besides their spiritual counterparts, these signs will also be literally fulfilled. In other words, the whole earth will be shaken to its very foundations; the literal mountains will heave and swell like the waves of the restless sea and every island will be shifted from its primeval moorings.

Jeremiah 4: 23: I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. 24: I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. 25: I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. 26: I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.

Panic, blind, uncontrollable panic will sweep across the globe when the events under the 6th seal occur. Earth's terror-stricken inhabitants will incorrectly conclude that the universe is beginning to disintegrate. The sun, we are told, will become black as sackcloth. It will disappear for a short period of time and the moon will glow like blood. Falling stars (meteorites) in their thousands will criss-cross the sky and the heavens will be rolled back as a scroll. In that day, every man, woman and child the world over will be filled with the fear of the Almighty and nobody will then doubt his existence. Indeed, all mankind will realise that the day of God's wrath has arrived. (Rev. 6:17)

The events under this seal have obviously not yet happened. Admittedly there have been a few isolated instances in history when unusually large numbers of meteorites have been sighted from certain parts of the globe, or when the sun was darkened for a few hours; but it is forcing the issue to suggest that those local happenings are the fulfilment of this awesome 6th seal, because they are not.

Why not? Simply because all the events under the 6th seal are to occur more or less at the same time, and will be witnessed by the entire population of the earth.

	The great earthquake
	The darkened sun
	The blood-red moon
	The dislodged mountains and islands
	The falling stars and the vanishing sky.

All these signs happen concurrently and that has never happened before: nor has the world's population ever exhibited the kind of blind panic described in Revelation 6:16 when mankind en-mass cried out:

'…hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.

Wait for the 6th seal. It is still future. When it occurs Yahweh's true followers will be galvanised into action. Gone forever will be their reticence in proclaiming the Gospel to the unconverted. Gone too their need to even convince people of the existence of God and His Son, the symbolic Lamb. For after the earthshaking events of the 6th seal, all the world will acknowledge the existence of the Almighty God and the prospect of the soon-coming Day of Judgement.

For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?(Rev. 6:17)

Oh yes, the world's population will accept the fact that the Messiah exists; but it will be an acceptance born of terror, not of love. Nevertheless, it is part of the Almighty's plan to give mankind a final opportunity to choose between right and wrong, between obedience and sin, between the worship of Yahweh as specified in His commandments and the worship of Satan which manifests itself in various human traditions. That final appeal, that end-time work of inviting mankind to accept Yahweh's authority will reach its climax immediately after the 6th seal, after the state of widespread chaos and panic already described. It will be a unique message, a special end-time work concentrating on one aspect of the Everlasting Gospel, the Seal of the living God!

The unique message concerning the Seal of God is programmed to go to all the world between the 6th and 7th seals. Indeed, its importance can only be appreciated when one considers that the events of the 7th seal are held up till that special message has reached the whole world. In Revelation chapter 7 that unique, end-time message is introduced. We will now turn our attention to that chapter and examine it carefully; not forgetting that the 7th seal has still to be opened.

THE SEALING OF THE 144,000
Rev.7: 1: And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 2: And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3: Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 4: And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

After reading this passage the first question that comes to mind is: What is the Seal of God? According to the dictionary, a seal is a legal instrument, a device that makes a ratifying impression on wax or some other receptive substance to prove that it is genuine. The word 'seal' in this context is synonymous with an owner's name, his signature, his sign, his stamp, his brand or identification mark.

Yahweh's Seal, in other words, represents His name, His signature, His stamp of ownership, the ratifying sign He seeks to place in the foreheads of His followers. The forehead represents the mind, the seat of a person's intellect, allegiance and faith. We are told in this chapters 7 and 14 that 144,000 believer's will accept the Father's Seal or Name in their foreheads. This means they will willingly accept Yahweh's ratifying seal in their minds. They will believe it, remember it, bear it in mind and be willing to live by it. Obviously they will be moved to this high degree of acceptance by the Holy Spirit. But do not make the mistake of supposing that the Holy Spirit is God's Seal, because He isn't. A believer is sealed by the Holy Spirit with the Seal of God, just as a sheep is marked by a shepherd with a special mark. But the shepherd is not the mark any more than the Holy Spirit is the seal.

The Holy Spirit of God is the Agent who does the sealing, but the Holy Spirit is not the Seal. What, then, is the Seal or Sign of Yahweh the God of Israel? To find out we will again resort to that reliable guideline of allowing the scriptures to interpret themselves. When we do this we find that Yahweh's Seal, the identifying sign he places in the minds of followers is His LAW. Yes, the law of God is the Almighty's seal and the Sabbath commandment in His law is the unique, ratifying SIGN (signature) the Almighty places in the minds of His followers, to signify to the universe that they are His special people.

In other words, God's people are to be signed and sealed. Here is proof of this astonishing fact.

Isaiah 8:16 Bind up the testimony , says God, seal the law among my disciples.

Hebrews 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.

Exodus 31: 13: Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.

Ezekiel 20: 12: Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them. … 20: And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.

Exodus 13: 9: And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD's law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.

Hebrews 10: 16: This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

These texts clearly prove that Yahweh's law, and the Sabbath commandment in His law, constitutes the identifying seal and signature He places in the minds of His followers. Consequently, when a believer remembers them, bears them in mind and keeps the Almighty's commandments, especially His Sabbath commandments, he/she is in effect declaring to the universe that Yahweh, the God of Israel, is his/her Father. And what, you may well ask, are the Almighty's Sabbath commandments?

The answer is:

	They are the weekly Sabbath command in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11)
	And the seven annual Sabbaths mentioned in Leviticus chapter 23. Together with the true seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday), these annual Sabbath days constitute the signature (sign) of Yahweh, the Creator of the universe.

If you would like to know more about the Sabbaths of the Almighty and about the Sacred Calendar which He is currently using to organise His work, write to us for our free booklet entitled The Sacred Calendar of the God of Israel.

When , you may well ask, does the sealing of the 144,000 take place? The answer is, the sealing begins shortly after the 6th seal and finishes just before the 7th seal. Indeed, the events of the 7th seal (the hurting of the earth, the sea and the trees etc.) are held up till the sealing of the 144,000 is finished,

Rev.7: 1: And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 2: And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3: Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

The four winds which are scheduled to hurt the earth, the sea and the trees are not merely physical winds like hurricanes, tornadoes, typhoons etc. They are far more than that. These 'winds' also represent the enormous spiritual authority and power angel or spirit-beings possess. Spirit-beings are themselves often referred to in the Scriptures as 'winds' and even the work of God's Spirit is likened to a 'wind.'

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8)

The four angels are granted authority to hurt, that is to wreck havoc upon the earth, the sea, the trees and the grass once the sealing of the 144,000 is finished. And in measured onslaughts of destruction that is exactly what we will find them doing at the 7th seal. See Trumpets 1 to 3 later.

THE INNUMERABLE MULTITUDE
Besides the 144,000 commandment keeping Israelites who are sealed, and this number will certainly include many Gentile believers who are grafted in the Olive of Israel, (Romans 11:17-24) the prophet sees another mighty throng - an innumerable multitude - from every nation, kindred, tongue and people. (Rev. 7:9)

It is not specified in chapter 7 whether or not these believers accept the Almighty's Seal at the same time as do the 144,000. But this much is certain, they will eventually all come around to keeping the commandments of God; and that includes the keeping of His weekly and annual Sabbath days. Here is proof of this amazing fact:

Rev.7: 13: And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14: And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15: Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16: They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17: For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Note the words, these are they which came out of the great tribulation. These believers, in other words go through the tribulation - or at least part of it. We are expressly told that they shall hunger and thirst no more, implying that they had already experienced hunger and thirst during the tribulation. Remember this important point.

The prophecy goes on to say that they washed their robes. What does this mean? It means that through the merits and power of the blood (life) of the Saviour these believers now begin to keep the commandments. The figurative phrase 'wash their robes' in chapter 7 is translated 'do the commandments' in Revelation 22.14. The innumerable host, in other words, will begin to keep the commandments of God. They will clean up their lives (wash their robes) by bringing them into line with the high and holy standards of Yahweh's law.

If this multitude hadn't accepted the claims of God's law at the time of the sealing, they will most certainly do so shortly after - during the tribulation. That is what these scriptures are impliedly saying.

In the blood of the Lamb .

What does this phrase mean? Blood is life. It also symbolises life. (Lev. 17:14, Deut. 12:23) The blood of the Lamb, therefore, symbolises the life giving power of the Messiah the Lamb of God. Washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, in short, is a symbolic way of saying that this innumerable multitude of believers would begin to keep the commandments of God, accomplishing the seemingly impossible feat by the sanctifying power of the living Messiah. In their own strength it would have, of course, been utterly impossible to attain the high and holy standards required by God's law. But when aided by the power of the blood, the wonder-working, sanctifying and cleansing power of the Messiah's matchless life, they will reach the required standard of obedience. They will be pure, holy and perfect. Figuratively speaking they will then be clothed in white robes .

As the old hymn POWER IN THE BLOOD puts it:

Bearing these reassuring thoughts in mind, let us now return to the prophecy of the seven seals, for there are still three trumpets to explain. The last three Trumpets (5, 6 and 7) are so fearful that even by angel standards they are classified as 'Woes.'

	The 5th Trumpet is the 1st Woe.
	The 6th Trumpet is the 2nd Woe.
	The 7th Trumpet is the 3rd Woe.

And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! (Rev.8:13)

The Fifth Trumpet^st Woe)

Rev.9: 1: And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2: And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3: And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4: And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5: And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6: And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

No one will deny, but that here before us is a picture of absolute terror, when for 5 months earth's mighty population, all except the sealed servants of Yahweh, will be tormented by a host of merciless beings who are to arise from the bottomless pit. For obvious reasons we will not dwell on this frightening aspect of the prophecy once having presented it. Instead, we will briefly answer the following questions and point to a way of escape.

1) What is the bottomless pit?

2) And who are the beings that ascend out of it?

The general lack of interest in the Revelation has over the years resulted in a dearth of information about the bottomless pit. But it is obviously a subject which all the world should know about; for is not mankind going to be tormented for 5 months by beings which come out of the bottomless pit? The answers to those two questions about the bottomless pit and it occupants are of vital importance, so let us closely study the matter.

The original Greek word abussos is translated in the Bible (in Rev. 9:1) as bottomless pit. Some Bible dictionaries render abussos as 'abyss.' The word abussos means exceedingly deep gulf or pit. Abussos is also used in Luke's gospel where it is translated simply as the deep. In the incident recorded in Luke 8. 26-36 we are given an important clue as to what the abyss is and how frightened evil angels are of being sent there. If the reader will turn to Luke's gospel he will see (in verse 31) how certain devils who had taken possession of a man were themselves terrified of being ordered into the abyss. They literally begged the Messiah for permission to enter a herd of swine rather than be sentenced to the abussos - the exceedingly deep pit.

From this incident we can see that the abussos, the bottomless pit is a place or condition which evil angels dread; a kind of spirit penitentiary or dungeon which existed thousands of years ago. Strong's concordance describing the 'bottomless pit' says it is a:

"pit of immeasurable depth, a very deep gulf or chasm in the lowest parts of the earth used as the common receptacle of the dead and especially as the abode of demons."

It is from somewhere within that unlit dungeon that a myriad symbolic locusts will arise at the 5th Trumpet or 1st Woe. (Rev. 9:1-3) What are these locusts that torture mankind for five months? They are evil angels, devils of mind-bending depravity who were sentenced to the abyss long before the early Christian era. At this very moment (August 1998) they are still chained and completely immobilised within the blackness of the abyss, held there in total darkness awaiting the judgement of the Great Day. Here is proof of this astounding fact.

For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; (2 Peter 2:4)

And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. (Jude 6)

Yes, fallen angels are at this moment held captive in the abyss, the bottomless pit, fettered in a way we humans do not properly understand, so the symbol of a 'chain' is used to help us. At the 1st Woe, a mighty angel (star) will be divinely authorised to open the abyss, and out will pour this host of devils like the smoke of a great furnace. (Rev. 9:1-5) The only people on earth who will be protected from their sadistic onslaught will be the ones who bear in their foreheads the Seal of the God of Israel. All others will be tormented. Here is proof of this frightening fact.

And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads..(Rev. 9:4)

Without labouring the point, we will at this stage again respectfully remind the reader to seriously consider accepting Yahweh's Seal, for fearful indeed will be the lot of those who reject it. References in this woe to Abaddon, the king of the bottomless pit (verse 11) are covered later where the identity of this king who is to ascend from the bottomless pit is considered.

Revelation 9:12 brings us to the end of the 1st woe (the 5th Trumpet). The reader will have noticed that even though the scenes portrayed here are fearsome, divine protection is assured to those who have God's Seal, especially from the terrors of Abaddon the Destroyer from the Abyss.

The Sixth Trumpet (The 2nd Woe)

Rev.9: 12: One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter. 13: And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14: Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15: And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. 16: And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 17: And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. 18: By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

The events that occur at the 2nd Woe are so catastrophic that nothing we can say or write will adequately describe them. Here is a woe that defies the imagination and leaves even the enlightened believer aghast; and because of this we will simply list the three main events scheduled to occur at this Trumpet and then very briefly explain them.

To begin with, the reader must bear in mind that the record of the 2nd Woe begins in Rev. 9.12, continues right through chapter 10 and ends at Rev. 11 verse 14. The events that are described between these two scriptural boundaries, therefore, are contemporary, they occur during the same period of time, that is - during the 2^nd Woe. This is an important point to remember, especially when trying to interpret the events of Revelation chapter 11, which deals initially with the overthrow of Jerusalem and the work of the Two Witnesses.

The three main events scheduled to occur at the 2nd Woe (the 6^th Trumpet) are as follows:

	First Event: four mighty angels will be released from the Great River Euphrates. Leading a force of some 200,000,000 they will slay one third of mankind! (Rev. 9:13-15)
	Second Event: the prophet is given a measuring rod and told to measure the Temple of God, the altar and them that worship therein. He is instructed not to measure the outer court of the Temple, for it is given over to the Gentiles, who will be allowed to trample the holy city under foot for a period of 42 months. (Rev. 11:1-2)
	Third Event: during this same 42 month period (1260 days) Yahweh's Two Witnesses will preach to the entire world. At the end of that time they will be murdered by the Beast who is to arise from out of the Abyss (Rev. 11:3-7) But after three and a half days they will be raised to life and will ascend to heaven. The 2nd Woe (6th Trumpet) ends at the resurrection of the Two Witnesses (Rev. 11:8-14)

Let us now consider these three events and discover what is going to happen on earth at the 2nd Woe. The Great River Euphrates mentioned in Revelation 9: 14 is not the natural stream of water which flows in the Middle East, but a great spiritual outflow upon which sits that mighty metropolis of evil, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS! The literal Euphrates on earth, real enough though it is, is merely the physical replica or shadow of the Great River Euphrates above. At this point we will briefly explain the second, vital clue to understanding Bible prophecy.

The first clue is to realise that certain prophecies in God's Word are written in symbolic language. To understand them one must compare scripture with scripture and allow the Bible to interpret itself. This process was explained earlier.

The second clue is to know that certain realities in the spirit realm above are reflected or duplicated in some physical way on this earth. In other words, here below, in a very real and measurable form, we find miniature models, transient earthly counterparts, scaled-down physical replicas of the mighty spiritual originals which exist in the realms above. There is, then, this significant difference between a symbol and a model. Symbols are used in Bible prophecy to represent the qualities, characteristics, procedures, work and purposes of human or spiritual agencies. Whereas models are miniature copies or replicas of the agencies themselves. For example, consider a candlestick. It is used in Bible prophecy to symbolise the church's duty or purpose to shed spiritual light. A candlestick is a symbol of a church group, not a replica of one. The literal Euphrates, on the other hand, is a model, a scaled-down physical replica, a miniature copy of the spiritual Euphrates above. The prophecy of the Revelation has a great deal to say about these earthly counterparts; and as we study them here below we are able to learn a great deal about what is happening in the realms above.

Returning to the prophecy with this second clue in mind, we find that at the 2nd Woe four mighty angels are released from somewhere within the Great River Euphrates. They are obviously beings of awesome authority and power, and in the echelons of evil they stand as near to Satan as the four living creatures do to God. (see Rev. 4:6-8 where the throne of the Almighty is briefly described)

One Third of Mankind Slain

Marshalling an army of some two hundred thousand, thousand (200,000,000) these four demons slaughter one third of mankind! Statisticians tell us: that in the year 1500 the world's population stood at around 500 million. By the year 1800, just 300 years later, it had doubled and topped the 1000 million mark. By the year 1930, a mere 130 years later, it had doubled again and stood at 2,000 million. And by the end of this century, barely 18 years hence, it will have rocketed to over 6,000 million souls! That's how fast the world's population is growing.

This prophecy states that at the 2nd Woe, one third of mankind will be slain. That's 2 billion people!

Let the reader pause for a moment and consider that stunning fact; for it means that in the near future, even at the present count, some 2,000,000,000 people are going to die at this Woe. This colossal figure of two thousand million represents the combined populations of China, and India. Or, put another way, all of Europe, the U.S.A Canada, Russia, Japan and several other nations besides. How this coming holocaust will be brought about is not fully explained; but it is going to happen nonetheless, for the scripture must be fulfilled. I repeat: One third of earth's population are scheduled to die under this 2^nd Woe! We could, of course, speculate as to what type of warfare, if any, will bring this about (nuclear, biological, chemical, radiological, electronic or conventional) but we will not, because we could be totally wrong. The prophecy simply states that:

And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. (Rev. 9:15)

Strange as it may seem, the remaining two thirds of mankind do not link this massive slaughter with personal or national sin: for we are told that at that time people will still be unrepentant and will continue in their witchcraft, idolatry, deception and blasphemy. (Rev. 9:20-21) Here is spiritual blindness (or is it stubborn pride?) as its worst. Chapter 10 is inserted into the mainstream of the prophecy at this stage and the scene changes somewhat.

The reader must, however, bear in mind that the 2nd Woe is still in progress and will remain so till Revelation 11 verse 14 is reached.

In chapter 10 we read of how the prophet is given a little, open book. He is told to eat it. The open book could either be the prophetic book of Daniel, which was to be kept sealed or shut till the time of the end when it would be understood (Daniel 12:4). Or it could be the seven-sealed scroll which the Lamb had just taken from the Almighty's hand and opened seal by seal (Rev. 5:1-5). Either way, the message of the open book is sweet to the taste; that is, to those who figuratively eat, understand and believe it. But the reality of this Woe, when witnessed, is very, very bitter indeed. 'One third of mankind is slain!' That, dear reader, is a bitter prospect by anyone's standards. The bitterness will be bearable, however, especially when one considers that the prophecy does not have long to run. The end of all things will take place, we are told, in the days of the seventh angel, when he begins to sound his trumpet. (Rev. 10:7)

The message of Revelation 10 is one of great encouragement, for it reminds all believers of two things:

	That the 2nd Woe, though bitter, will end.
	That the end of this wretched system of human suffering and pain is at hand.

Having briefly considered the message of Revelation chapter 10, let us now return to the mainstream of the prophecy and continue with the events of the 2nd Woe.

Jerusalem's Capture
The second event scheduled to take place at the 2nd Woe (6^th Trumpet) concerns the holy city of Jerusalem, which is to be captured by the Gentiles and dominated for a period of 42 months.

But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. (Rev. 11:2)

We know that the term 'holy' or 'great city' means Jerusalem because in verse 8 it identifies this city as 'where also our Lord was crucified.' That means - Jerusalem. The rising tension in the Middle East strongly suggests that an all-out attack on Jerusalem is not only inevitable - but near. The whole Arab world, and many other nations besides, are lining up against the tiny nation of Israel, and it will not be long before the predicted attack will occur and Jerusalem will be captured.

Please note that the 42 month duration of Jerusalem's subjugation is 42 literal months, which is 1260 days or three and a half years. The principle of reckoning a day for a year and arriving at 1260 years does not apply in the prophecy of the Revelation. Some commentators have used that principle here and as a result have been obliged to begin this Woe in the distant past, some 1260 years ago. Because of this misapplication they have been unable to point to any time since the Revelation was given (AD96) when a 'third of mankind was slain,' or when 'Jerusalem was under the heel of the Gentiles for 1260 years.' Never in history has a third of mankind been slain; nor has Jerusalem ever been trampled under foot by Gentiles for an exact period of 1260 years, or days for that matter. Any historian will confirm that Jerusalem has been over-run by Gentile armies several times in its long and tumultuous past, but never for an exact period of 1260 years. So the day for a year principle cannot possibly apply in the book of Revelation.

The only remaining alternative is that at the 2nd Woe - which is still future - the present Middle East crisis will erupt and after another blood-bath the city of Jerusalem will be captured by the Gentiles. The exact 42 months period of brutal domination will then begin. Grim though this prospect may appear to those of us who worship the God of Israel, all is not lost, for the Messiah is scheduled to return to earth and to liberate Jerusalem from Gentile rule.

Speaking through the prophet Zechariah, Yahweh the Almighty God of Israel has this to say about the end-time capture and liberation of Jerusalem.

Zec.14: 1: Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2: For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3: Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 4: And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5: And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. 6: And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: 7: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. 8: And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. 9: And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

This amazing prophecy about Jerusalem being attacked, captured and then miraculously delivered by the Messiah who is to descend upon the split Mount of Olives has obviously never been fulfilled. In other words, it has still to happen; and happen it will in the near future. All the events in the Middle East indicate that the final scenes are set; the mounting tension, the anger of the nations at Israel's behaviour, the utter fruitlessness of the various peace talks, the trade and arms embargoes, the outbreaks of anti-Semitism around the globe, all these indicate that a multinational attack on Jerusalem is not only certain but imminent.

We may be absolutely sure, however, that in spite of all these foreboding signs, pregnant with peril as most of them are, behind and above them all the Almighty God of Israel is working His twofold plan out. And that plan is this:

	To teach all nations that the God of Israel still rules in the affairs of men.
	And that He is about to purge and cleanse His chosen people Israel and His church from the filthiness of sin; so that He may once again dwell amongst us as in the days of old.

Measure the Temple
The 42 month subjugation of Jerusalem, followed by its dramatic liberation by the Messiah, will accomplish the first part of the plan. And the instruction to rise and measure the Temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein (Rev. 11:1) will trigger the second. Let me explain further.

Following the clue of comparing scripture with scripture, we will turn to the prophecy of Ezekiel where in chapters 40 and 43 a similar instruction to measure the Temple of God was carried out. In the vision of Ezekiel, the prophet is given detailed measurements of every conceivable part of the temple: the wall, the gates, the chambers, the pillars and posts, the steps, the galleries, the courts and even the territory on which the temple stood. All were accurately measured and the specifications cover several chapters of Ezekiel's book.

"And why." you may well ask, "was the temple measured? What was the Almighty's purpose in ordering that painstaking exercise?"

The answer is, the temple was measured so that God's people could see, investigate and learn to live by the laws and principles which govern true worship of Yahweh the God of Israel. Here is proof of this astonishing fact.

Ezekiel 43: 10: Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. 11: And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.

The order to rise and measure the Temple, in other words, is the Almighty's way of drawing His people's attention to the principles and laws of the Temple in Heaven: the sacred original of which the earthly temple was but a copy. And this is precisely what He aims to do during the 2nd Woe, while a third of earth's mighty population is perishing. He will then open the eyes of the innumerable multitude of believers to the eternal principles and laws of the Temple in Heaven, its layout, its structure, its services and its divine purpose. And many believers who had previously rejected the commandments of God at the time of Sealing will at this Woe begin to understand and obey the regulations of the Temple which governs the worship of Yahweh the Almighty God of Israel. They will then repent of their sins and begin to keep the commandments of God in accordance with His will.

The Ark of the Covenant
Towards the end of Revelation chapter 11 the prophet John tells of the heavenly Temple being opened. What did he see inside that sacred place? He saw, believe it or not, the Ark of the Covenant, the heavenly original which contains the Ten Commandments. Please note that John saw this some 60 years after the resurrection, so the commandments were not cancelled at Calvary as many Christians suppose.

And the Temple of God was opened in heaven and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his Testament. (Rev. 11:19)

Yes, the Ark of the Testament, in which is deposited the original version of Yahweh's perfect law, (the eternal constitution of the mighty universe) is still within the heavenly Temple and John saw it over 60 years after the resurrection. The reader may be sure that at the 2nd Woe, when the Temple in heaven is measured, those same principles and laws enshrined within the Ark of the Covenant will arouse the interest of believers all over the world. Then many will be ashamed of their hitherto rebellious attitude towards Jehovah's laws and will begin to keep His commandments just as He directed in the vision of Ezekiel.

… write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them. (Ezekiel 43:11)

This measuring of the Temple, in short, is a divine call to obedience, a call which is directly linked with the message of the Two Witnesses, who we will now consider.

The Two Witnesses
The third major event to occur during the 2^nd Woe (6^th trumpet) will be the powerful work, death and resurrection of the Two Witnesses.

Rev.11: 3: And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 4: These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 5: And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. 6: These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. 7: And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

Who are the Two Witnesses, the two symbolic olive trees that stand before the God of the earth? They are two spirit-filled beings who come down from the Temple in Heaven. The prophet Zechariah tells of them in the following words:

Zechariah 4: 11: Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? 12: And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? 13: And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. 14: Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.

Though we cannot at this stage be certain as to the identity of the Two Witnesses, because their names are not given, these scriptures tell us the following facts about the Two Witnesses and their work.

a) They are two spirit-filled sons of oil who stand in the very presence of the God of the whole earth. (Zech. 4:14, Rev. 11:4)

b) Like the two angel messengers who visited Sodom before its overthrow (Genesis 19), they will come down to the earth just before the end of this age to give mankind a final warning before the seven lasts plagues devastate the earth.

c) They will preach for a period of 1260 days, which is 42 months, the exact duration of Jerusalem's final subjugation. (Rev. 11:2-3)

d) Being filled with the Spirit of God, they will have supernatural powers, and no humans will dare restrain them for fear of speedy retribution. (Rev. 11:5)

e) At the end of the 42 month period they will be murdered by the Beast who rose from the bottomless pit at the 1st Woe. Their bodies will then be exhibited in the occupied city of Jerusalem, where the Lord was crucified, and the world will rejoice at their apparent end; for they and their message where most unpopular. (Rev. 11:7-10)

f) Then after three and a half days they will be raised to life and will ascend to heaven in full view of their enemies. (Rev. 11:11-13)

g) The 2nd Woe or 6th Trumpet will end at the time of their resurrection. (Rev. 11:14)

It is not necessary at this point in time to further identify the Two Witnesses, because when they do eventually arrive on the earth the whole world will speedily become aware of their presence. There will be no mistaking them or the absolute authority with which they preach. Even in the city of Jerusalem, which at the time will be under the Gentile heel, they will declare the message of God with awesome effect. No earthly authority will dare restrain them, for like Elijah of old they are able to reduce their opponents to ashes; and like Moses and Aaron, can cause all manner of plagues. (2 Kings 1, Exodus chapters 7 to 12)

Many and varied have been the claims and interpretations concerning the Two Witnesses, but not one of them meets all the conditions listed above. Nor is that surprising, for these two divine messengers can only appear on the world's scene at God's appointed time, which is when a third of the world's population is being slain and the city of Jerusalem is under the Gentile heel. When they do arrive, however, they will bring to all mankind a final appeal from God. Their message will be, in fact, the same call to repentance and obedience which every true prophet of God has delivered since the days of Enoch. Multitudes of believers from every nation, kindred tongue and people will heed their call and begin to obey God's law. This will be the time when the innumerable multitude (see page 12) will wash their robes and come into line with the eternal principles of God's law which is within the Ark of the Covenant inside the Temple of Heaven.

The vast majority of mankind, however, will reject the Two Witnesses and their powerful call to repentance, faith and obedience. Why? Because at about that time the most diabolical Agent of Evil this world has ever seen will be parading the earth and seducing its inhabitants into serving Satan. The Two Witnesses will be murdered by this being, who is symbolically referred to in the Revelation as the Beast.

See SBS articles the Two Witnesses and Who/What is the Antichrist for more information on these beings. This brings us to the end of the 6th Trumpet, the terrifying 2nd Woe, when within a short space of three and a half years:

	A third of mankind will be slain.
	Jerusalem will be captured and dominated by the Gentiles.
	And the people of God will be purged, purified and made obedient by the power of the living Messiah, whose Two Witnesses will testify before men and angels of the sacred requirements of the Temple in Heaven.

The second Woe is past; and behold a third woe cometh quickly. (Rev. . 11:14)

The Seventh Trumpet (The 3rd Woe)

Rev.11: 15: And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 16: And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17: Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. 18: And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. 19: And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

The 7th Trumpet brings us to the climax of human history, when another mass-confrontation between good and evil will take place. It will commence with a spiritual election which will test the allegiance of every soul on earth; will then progress through the unimaginable terrors of the seven last plagues (called the Wrath of God) and end with the total overthrow of Satan and his system.

Fearsome though the events of this Trumpet are, and this is why it is called a Woe, great joy will overwhelm the heavenly host at its sounding (Rev. 11:15), for only then will the mystery of God be finished. We know this from the following verse.

But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. (Rev. 10:7)

To most people God is a mystery and His involvement with mankind is even more mysterious than His invisible presence. How often have we heard people say: "If God is a God of love and is all-powerful as He claims to be, why doesn't He put an end to human suffering?" Or "What is God doing about the rising tide of crime? Why doesn't He use His power to prevent sickness, sorrow, pain and death? Doesn't He care?"

Questions like these, many of them awash with tears, are repeatedly voiced by people all over the globe. And, as conditions worsen, the same apparently cruel response comes back from heaven - a bewildering, deathly silence. At the 7th Trumpet (the 3rd Woe) that silence will be broken. The mystery of God, hidden from most of humanity since the dawn of time, will be finished and made plain. All the questions about God's strange dealings will then be answered.

Analysing the main events of the 3rd Woe we discover that they fall into three distinct categories involving authority, anger and reward. These three are summarised in the following words. The words in bold type are ours.

Rev. 11:17: Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. (AUTHORITY) 18: And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come (ANGER) and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. (REWARD)

Most of the remaining chapters in Revelation tell of the final scenes on earth just before the end of this age, and in varying degrees they deal with either a call to recognise Yahweh's authority, the outpouring of His anger or the distribution of His rewards. Let us now very briefly consider these chapters. It would obviously help a great deal if the reader read each chapter before the explanation.

REVELATION 12
In this chapter we are given a symbolic overview of Satan's age-old revolt against the authority of God, a revolt which began in the distant past but still manifests itself in hatred for the people of Zion, the Messiah of Israel and all commandment-keeping believers down to this present day. In vision the prophet is shown a 'woman clothed with the sun and standing on the moon.' A symbolic dragon then tries to devour her child at its birth, but the boy is caught up to God and to His throne. The dragon then turns on the woman in an effort to kill her, but she is miraculously lifted out of his reach and taken to the wilderness, where she is nourished for a period of three and a half years (verses 13-14). In a fit of fury the dragon then turns on the woman's remaining offspring, the 'remnant of her seed,' who are still in human society and who keep the commandments of God (verse 17).

The woman in this vision, who is seen standing on the moon, represents the ekklesia of Yahweh, the spiritually called out ones, the 'wife' or church of the Almighty, whose faithful members make up the Israel of God.

The 'man-child' who is to rule all nations with the rod of iron (absolute authority) is Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ), the only begotten Son of the living God.

The 'dragon' is Satan the Devil, the leader of the revolution against the Eternal. During this Woe, the Almighty will miraculously protect his spiritual 'wife', the church, from Satan's wrath, especially those of Zion who are clothed in His righteousness and who take their stand upon the requirements of His calendar - which is symbolised by the moon. If you would like to know about Yahweh's Calendar and of His sacred festivals which are directly linked to these prophecies in Revelation, write for our free booklet entitled The Sacred Calendar of the God of Israel. The booklet will introduce you to the amazing time-element in Yahweh's schedule of salvation, something so few believers know anything about.

REVELATION 13
This chapter is a forecast of the strangest spiritual election ever to be staged in the history of humanity. The electorate will be the citizens of every nation and the main issue will concern obedience to the law of Yahweh the Almighty God of Israel.

Satan's visible representative on earth at the time will be the Man of Sin, the Antichrist, the coming World Dictator. He will be a being of commanding presence and power, and will exercise all the authority of the Devil himself. The Man of Sin is symbolically referred to in the Revelation as the BEAST! According to the prophet John, the Beast is scheduled to make a personal appearance on earth at this Seal, and will govern the whole of the world for a period of three and a half years. The vast majority of mankind, we are told, will worship him in abject terror, demonstrating their acceptance of his authority by doing his will and receiving his Mark.

Those who refuse to accept the Mark of the Beast will lose the right to buy and sell. In other words they will be totally barred from the world's markets, banks and other economic institutions. On the other hand, those who do worship the Beast will receive the full measure of Yahweh's anger, which is to be poured out undiluted on mankind in the form of the seven last plagues.

A symbolic description of this coming World Dictator is given below:

Rev.13: 1: And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2: And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 3: And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

4: And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 5: And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6: And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7: And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8: And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9: If any man have an ear, let him hear.

The Apostle Paul writing in plain language about the same being - the Man of Sin - said this:

2 Thessalonians 2: 1: Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2: That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as